DIY Art Journal and getting un-"Stuck"

Hello Lifers!

How are things going? Are you doing OK?

Recently, I had the the cool opportunity to mix two of my favorite things: my faith and my art.

I am doing a bible study called "Stuck" by Jennie Allen with a group of ladies at my church. We are in week 2 and in both the weeks we've done, there have been opportunities to "draw" something. However...both times...the space to draw is so itty-bitty...I could not even function. LOL 

So I decided to make my own "art journal" specifically for these 8 week study.

Here is what I came up with: 

Here's a quick step-by-step of what I did:

(1) I started with 3 plain manilla folders. I punched 5 holes in the spine with a paper piecer and then used a pamphlet stitch with nylon string to secure them together. The pamphlet stitch is super easy and useful.

(2) Add a layer of tulle and a few pieces of lace using matte gel medium.

(3) Add more embellishments and letters for your title. 

(4) Cover everything with a layer of gesso. If needed to fully cover, add a second coat. 

(5) Choose your favorite colors of spray ink.

I chose:

Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist: Monster Mash, Festive and Mallard

Heidi Swapp Color Shine: Chartruese and Primrose

Apply in light layers, one color at a time. I used all three of my Glimmer Mists, dried them and then added the darker tones on top of them to add depth.

I also splattered my Primrose Color Shine and my Mallard Glimmer Mist by unscrewing the lid and using the tube to flick the paint. 

(6) For finishing touches I:

* added some Faber Castell Design Memory Craft Texture Accents in Pearl

* TCW "Hexagon" stencil with brown acrylic paint

*Outlined my 3-D elements with Black and White Faber Castell PITT Artist Pens

I hope you enjoyed today's project and I can't wait to share more as I fill it!

XOXO,

KERI

Supply List:

Manilla Folders-Walmart

Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist-Mallard, Monster Mash and Festive

Heidi Swapp Color Shine-Primrose & Chartreuse

Faber Castell PITT Artist Pens-Black & White

Brown Acrylic Paint-Plaid

Tulle, Nylon String & Lace-Hobby Lobby

Faber Castell Design Memory Craft Texture Accents-Pearl

The Crafter's Workshop-Hexagon Stencil 

Embellishments-Prima Marketing, Jolee's, Studio Calico, 7 Gypsies

Stamps-Misc

Art Journaling is good for the soul

Hello Lifers! 

I haven't been blogging as much as I would like too...I'm going to try to pick it up. :)

Lately..life has been a little rough. There are a lot of outside circumstances that are weighing on my heart, but they aren't things that can be easily fixed and my personality...I'm a fix-it person. I can't stand having to stand back and watch people I love hurting. 

So...i decided to pour some of those feelings into an art journal spread. 

Why? 

Because....

Sound  familiar to your situation? 

I have a huge love for vintage music, particularly vintage hymnals, so I started looking through an old one I have and was just reading the lyrics, looking for comfort. I came across the hymn "Blessed Assurance" and the lyrics jumped off the page. 

Here is where they led me....

I used acrylic paint and Heidi Swapp Color Shine and stencil to make my background. Then I layered pieces of my hymn and allowed it to speak to me. I highlighted lines that stood out to me with a stabilo pencil. 

 

I used white gesso with a Crafter's Workshop stencil. I love this shape but once I was done, I realized it kind of looked like teeth (weird thought, I know), but then I took a closer look at the left page... 

I realized that the starburst from my Heidi Swapp stencil seems to BURST through the "teeth"...which fits perfect with the hymn title "Blessed Assurance." 

As a Christian, it's because of the Assurnace in Christ that we can break through and be triumphant no matter what the situation. 

Here is a closeup of a few other of my favorite places. 

I hope today has not only inspired you creatively, but has empowered you to take hope that no matter what the situation, you have an Assurance of victory in Christ. 

Until next time...xoxo. 

Keri 

PS. I made the quote pic using Rhonna Farrer's app, layered over a pic I took and edited with PicFX. 

Graphic 45 Design Team 2014 Audition

 Hello Lifers!

Today, I have something a little different on the blog.

I decided to take a BIG leap and audition for the 2014 Graphic 45 Design Team and they require something a little different from any other DT I've ever auditioned for: a blog post dedicated to your audition projects.

Oh....and did I mention...you have to submit at least 6 (!) projects?

So grab a cup of coffee (or a glass of wine, depending on when you're reading this!), get comfy, and hopefully be inspired. :) 

Steampunk Spells

When I decided to audition, I decided to design all new projects (as opposed to using older ones) and I wanted to challenge myself to use things I had on hand.

My project featuring Steampunk Spells by Graphic 45 uses a 8 x 10 Chunky Canvas from Canvas Corp that had just not worked out. So, I turned it around and turned it into a shadowbox. 

I've always LOVED the look of Steampunk, but it's never been a style I could embrace easily. However, I think G45's use of oranges and turquoise brighten up the usual neutral steampunk pallet and made it much easier for me to work with.

My favorite part is at the center...gears from Want2Scrap that I altered using nothing but Tattered Angels Paints. 

Gears--naked and dressed:

So fun, right? :)

Here are a few close-ups: 

My flowers were made 2 ways: (1) the colored flowers are cut using Tim Holtz Tattered Florals Die for Sizzix from Tim Holtz Nostalgic Kraft-Core Collection from Coredinations. I then embossed it with a gear embossing folder from The Paper Studio and Distressed it with Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Walnut Stain. (2) The Metal looking flowers are cut using Spellbinders Dies and then colored using Tattered Angels paints (like the gears.)

 

French Country

Still feeling fall? Next up is some beautiful G45 French Country.

This project was made by doing a mixed media collage background using French Country Paper, Liquitex Matte Gel Medium and Tattered Angels Paints all on top of an 8 x 10 canvas from Hobby Lobby that I had on hand. 

I then cut about 40 flowers using Tim Holtz's Tattered Florals, wet them, scrunch them and Tattered Angels them (is "Tattered Angels" a verb? LOL)

I used a stack of mat board to lift my wrought iron piece up so that I could then tuck the flowers all around it.

Nutcracker Sweet

From Fall to Christmas!

For this project, I found an empty ribbon spool that once held 2 inch wire edge ribbon.

How "sweet" is this little scene!?

To make my 3-D scene, I fussy-cut out my characters from a sheet of G45's Nutcracker Sweet paper. I distressed them and then used pieces of bend mat board in the same of an "L" to make them stand. I was very strategic on the size and placement so the supports were not easily seen. 

A Place in Time 

G45's A Place in Time had so many options for styles-12 to be exact! Since I am tired of winter and longing for spring, I decided to use the paper for April, as well as a little throwback G45 line "Romantique."

For my base, I had this small 9 x 9 wooden tray that used to hold wooden veneers. (I've been hoarding this one for over a year just waiting for the perfect project!)

I colored my plain wood with Heidi Swapp Color Shine in Chartreuse. 

The green/gold color went perfecting to make this:

A few of my favorite close-ups:

The flowers are stems from Petaloo and the butterflies are from Heidi Swapp (colored with the same Chartreuse Color Shine as the base.)

Wanna guess what's in my little bottles? CHIA SEEDS! Don't they almost look like little pebbles?!

Phew! Are you doing OK? Do you need a break? 

No? Let's Keep going!

Magic of Oz

This collection has long since been one of my favorites from G45. They did a BEAUTIFUL job interpreting "The Wizard of Oz." I was so inspired by it that I made 2 projects with this collection.

First...I was inspired to make this amazing (if I do say so myself!) mini album.

From the outside, it just seems like a mini album, but the inside holds a secret...

Both the front and the back covers have 5 little flaps featuring the good on the front and then bad in the back, BUT...that's not the secret...do you see it?

All 5 of the center pieces open...making 5 even smaller albums. Each on has a small magnet to keep it closed and features one character on the cover.

Can you tell I LOVE this collection? No...then this one will change your mind.

This was the last project I made and I have to say it is one of my favorites of all time because it is so out-of-the-box...or should I say "out of the closet!"

Yup...that's a high heal shoe. It started out as an ugly plain black pump (purchased at my local thrift store for $4.) Then...came the glitter. I used the AMAZING Glitter Blast Spray Paint from Krylon in Cherry Bomb to transform it in to my own ruby slipper. 

Inside my ruby slipper is a mini tag album: 

And of course you can't talk about the "Wizard of Oz" with the Yellow Brick Road:

Or high heal shoes with bows and bling:

So there you go! My 6 audition projects for the 2014 Graphic 45 Design Team. 

To my readers...I hope you enjoyed looking at them as much as I enjoyed making them. These were definitely a labor of love. I hope to use these as tutorials soon, so check back to see how I did it!

To Graphic 45...thank you so much for this opportunity and for visiting my little blog. I hope you had fun.

To All..I will leave you the way I leave you every time we are together: Remember...choose to make your art intentional...not an afterthought. 

XOXO,

KERI  

P.S. Thank you for forgiving me for some of my pictures going outside the limits of my blog frame. I wanted my pics to be SUPER big! :)